


Stars

by before_everything_changed



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir-centric, Gen, Reflection, Stars, The stars are gone, that's about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27843484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/before_everything_changed/pseuds/before_everything_changed
Summary: The stars left the sky and it haunts Adrien.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Kudos: 3





	Stars

**Author's Note:**

> I love Adrien!!!
> 
> I might make this into a series of oneshots within this starless AU and I'm currently writing what may be the biggest one shot of my entire life, so stayed tuned!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy :)

The night sky was always a lonely place for Adrien. It used to be, growing up in Paris meant being able to see the vast array of stars, but one night they vanished from the skies. It was a mystery to all, no one quite understanding what happened. No other place had this happen, and so, stars did not exist in the sky in Adrien’s life. Only once had Adrien seen the multitudes of stars hanging across the dark blanket of sky that he had always assumed to be empty. He was young at the time, four at most, and his mother had taken him for an overnight stay at one of their properties outside of the city. That day had been exciting and full of wonder as he and his mother explored the countryside together, Adrien seeing so many things for the first time. Then, as the day died down, one by one the stars began to peek out, and as the sky began to fill he and his mother laid out on the lush grass and she began to point out constellations to him, telling the stories of the stars.

It has been years since then, the memory fading to the corners of his mind. Still, the feeling of awe and wonder remained, but as he looked at the Parisian sky all he felt was disappointment. That day was long gone and so much had changed since then, the biggest change of all being the disappearance of his mother, the one who connected him to wonderful things such as the stars. Emilie vanished, leaving Adrien alone with the mogul of the fashion industry and his father, Gabriel Agreste. At one time this would have been fine. Gabriel cared for his family deeply, always having made time for them and provided for them the most that he could. However, after the morning that his life changed forever and the subsequent searches and police visits, Gabriel threw himself into his work and became cold to Adrien. Their dynamic shifted entirely. What was once a lively home saturated with the warmth of familial love became the cool and calculated atmosphere of the corporate world.

He was always sheltered, being homeschooled for most of his life because his parents were worried what would happen to him as a result of his father’s fame. This was taken to an extreme when Emilie left their lives. A new bodyguard was hired for Adrien, and his schedule started to be filled to such an extreme to where he would not have a moment to go out and make a life for himself outside of the carefully crafted image his father was trying to make for Adrien. His saving grace during this time was gathering his courage and making the path for himself to be able to go to a real brick and mortar school. That one act of courage would have such an impact on his life, he would have never believed it if he was told beforehand. Because of that, he was put in line to be granted the miraculous to become Chat Noir and experience a world of freedom he had never known before. He was able to protect Paris and fulfill a part of himself he never knew existed. The urge to help people had always existed, but there was something so satisfying about being a part of a group that only serves the good of the people.

There was also the added bonus of patrol, scouring the city looking for trouble or hints as to Hawk Moth’s identity. These nights were something else for Adrien entirely. The city that he had grown up in became so different from above. He would run, almost floating, across rooftops, vaulting between buildings. The air moved around him, flinging his hair in different directions into a mess he knew would never be allowed under his father’s reign, but during those times he was not model Adrien Agreste, the prim and proper child. Instead he was Chat Noir, hero of Paris, and if there was one thing he knew, it was that heros did not have time to make sure they looked perfect. 

The lights of the city below rushed by under him like a bad dream. As he moved throughout the city, he was able to see people outside taking in the sights around him. In those moments he wondered how he looked against the lonely sky. Did he seem as if he were focused on his duties, a figure to look up to, or did he look like he was running away from the shackles of his life? The question came one day and decided to make a home in his brain. Some days Adrien would not be able to answer how he felt. Chat Noir, even with all of his own duties, felt like an escape. Something that was but a dream. His life as Adrien was hard, always trying to appease his father’s growing expectations of him, and it left him wanting. Wanting for more, for the warmth that had left with his mother, for laughter echoing through the halls of the mansion, for a sky with stars.

There was a legend of a man who lived in the moon. Adrien, from time to time, wondered if he was lonely, looking down upon cities with millions of people. Did he wish to be part of the population that he looked down upon? Or was he content to watch from afar, his only company being the stars that shone around him? Adrien knew that if he were the one in the moon, he would be lonely. Most of the time he was already lonely even though he was surrounded by so many people every day. Things had been getting better in some ways, he was making friends and building connections with them, but there was still something missing in his heart. A gaping wound that opened up when his mother left. He glanced down at the city, shapes and lights blurring together as he moved. Ever so slightly, a frown graced his lips. 

Chat Noir would become a part of the Parisian sky, never staying in one place for long. Up there Adrien could exist, and on his worst nights, the nights where sleep was nowhere to be found and his thoughts would start to creep in, he would find himself one with the sky. He wanted to give hope for the people who looked up in despair and found nothing to ground themselves to. He knew the feeling all too well. So many nights were spent staring up at the sky hoping to see anything at all. It was a move of desperation to bring to life the memory of his mother, but he was left disappointed each time. The city of love had been abandoned by the stars that connected everyone and told a story all their own.

Some nights Ladybug would be there too, the red of her suit almost glowing against the dark sky. It was different each time, with some patrols filled with quick remarks and laughter, others held with a comfortable silence between the two heroes. Ladybug always seemed to know what he needed, and gave him space when that was what he needed most. He could not be more grateful that she existed and that he got to work alongside her. There was something magnetic about her. Adrien kept finding himself being pulled toward her, and he knew one day it would be the end of him, but he could not stop himself. She was courageous, head-strong, creative, and above all, kind. Like everyone else, she had her faults. Adrien could recall times where her insecurities got the best of her and a handful when she lashed out in anger, but it made her so much more reachable, more human. Her shortcomings were a part of her and were what helped to make her so beautiful.

As they would cross the sky together, they would find points to stop and just be. Their job was stressful, interrupting their lives and forcing them to lie to loved ones in order to keep them safe. They were expected by the city to handle it well and never make mistakes, despite the fact they were teenagers. Moments on top of buildings, away from the people they swore to protect, they could understand each other in ways others never completely could. There was still a barrier, however, as they did not know each other’s identities under the masks. Topics that might otherwise be harmless could expose themselves if they were not careful enough. Even so, they were able to talk about the things that mattered to them and their own insecurities. They genuinely cared for one another, and if there was anyone who could relate to some of their pain, it was the other.

One night in particular, they found themselves on a beam of the Eiffel Tower, hidden away from prying eyes. The glow from the city drenched the pair in golden light as they sat side by side in silence. The sight of the city was ethereal, spanning the length of Adrien’s field of vision. Adrien felt a wave of peace wash over him and he thanked whatever may lie above that he would be one of the few to behold this sight. It felt like a secret between him and Ladybug as they sat in each other's company, the hum of the city just barely able to be heard. His problems from the day melted away, but he guessed that his posture might not have shown that as Ladybug asked him what was wrong. He turned to find her looking up at him and his breath caught in his throat. It was in that moment Adrien knew he never had to worry about being alone, and he felt his gaze soften and his lips form a smile.

The stars may have abandoned the city of love, but they found their home in her eyes. 


End file.
